Heat Pumps Donated to Technical Schools to Help Students Learn Trade

There’s no better way to learn a trade than with hands-on experience. Thanks to Bangor Hydro and Maine Public Service, local high schoolers are getting a head start learning about a system that’s really heating up. Students at United Technologies Center in Bangor are always working on something. Right now, it’s heat pumps. ” For us to be able to get a little ahead of the curve and have our students a little ahead of the curve, it’s huge,” said Fred Woodman, director of UTC. The pumps, donated by Bangor Hydro and Maine Public Service, are booming in popularity since there’s a rebate and financing program available. ” Everyone’s looking to save money on their heating costs especially in Maine in the cold winters, so this is really a great way to do that,” said Susan Faloon, spokeswoman for Bangor Hydro. Students are learning the ins-and-outs of the units. ” We went over each step multiple times so we know everything from the beginning to the end,” said Cody Johnston, a senior at UTC. Cody Johnston wants to be a master electrician and says this opportunity gives him a good head start. ” It was a cool experience just because we learned something that not a lot of people know yet,” explained Johnston. Kyle Farley is also a student at UTC. He says even if he doesn’t become an electrician, he’s glad he knows how to do this.” It’s still good to have the experience so we can do it ourselves and we don’t necessarily have to pay the extra money for installations and other people to come do it for us,” said Farley. It’s also a way to show the students that there are job opportunities in the state. ” It’s important to them so they can remain here, and live here, and raise their families here,” said Woodman. Students will continue to work with the pumps, gaining training on something experts say is a hot industry in Maine. Pumps were also donated to Northeast Technical Institute in Bangor. For more information, visit Bangor Hydro’s website.